ABSTRACT
A historical perspective on amphipod sediment toxicity tests is provided. Amphipod tests have been miniaturized, from 25-L aquaria to 1-L test vessels, and have become a major benchmark technique for sediment toxicity testing. The historic and projected development of these tests provides a model for the development of other invertebrate microbiotests. Techniques and practice for short-term acute and long-term, chronic and/or sublethal tests are reviewed. Advances and future directions are described and projected, respectively. Major future directions include: development and usage of full life-cycle chronic tests, usage with other tools to determine causative agents, and determination of toxic mechanisms. Major advances which can be pursued or which are required with small-scale amphipod assays include: further miniaturization; spiked sediment controls; and isolating or excluding ammonia and hydrogen sulfide toxicity from more persistent contaminants. Hydrogen sulfide toxicity is not believed to be a problem if dissolved oxygen levels are maintained at the requisite concentrations in the overlying water.
